ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO -- After cancelling my account with Comcast, I decided to look into Dish after I was mailed an ad stating that I would get free HD for life, a Hopper, and free installation. PERFECT! All for about half of what Comcast cost. I called the number on the ad and specified what channel I wanted and had the representative repeat that I was indeed going to get that channel with the package I ordered, free HD for life, and a Hopper. I paid the deposit and verbally agreed to a contract over the phone.

The AD also stated that we would get same day installation. I was then transferred to the installation scheduling department who told me that they do NOT offer same day installation and that they cannot control all the ads that go out. What?! OK, I let that one go. When the installer came to my house, I told him that I did not want the dish on my house but instead on a tripod to which he agreed. I stayed outside to work on the yard until he told me the installation was finished. I came inside to about 30 feet of cables running through my house. After expressing my frustration he then slid the cables under the wall to "hide" the cables.

I didn't care, at least he tried. He then turned on the box. I instantly noticed I did not have any HD service. He told me that his work order was for the basic package that did not include HD service or the channel I specifically requested or the Hopper and that he could not do anything about it so I would have to call. Fine. I called Dish and that was when they showed their true colors.

Dish informed me that in order to get HD for life I would have to pay an additional deposit and that their records show that I never requested HD or the channel I wanted. I told them that I honestly did not care about the Hopper as long as I got HD and the channel I signed up for in the first place. I was called a liar and told that I would have to talk to the executive resolution team. I talked to a woman who told me that she would pull the phone conversation and give me a call within 24 to 48 hours to resolve the issue. I waited 4 weeks and still no phone call.

I called Dish once again and they said that the phone call still hadn't been pulled and that the woman I talked to was too busy with other customers to help me anytime soon and that it would be additional 4 weeks. I voiced my frustration and was told I would get a call in 24 hours. Surprise, no call and the woman I talked to was never available to talk to me. I waited one more week and called again, the representative told me that there was nothing they could do and that the call still hadn't been pulled.

I let them know that if they did not give me the deal I was promised based on DISH'S OWN AD that I would cancel. I was threatened that if I did that I would have to pay even more money to break my contract. After threatening legal action all of a sudden I was allowed out of my contract with no further fees. The cancellation was explained to me...

I was told I would receive a box in 3-5 days with a prepaid UPS label to return the equipment and all I had to do was follow the instructions inside the box. I had 30 days to return the equipment. 3 weeks later, the box finally came. I boxed up the equipment and got it to UPS ASAP. Because of Thanksgiving, it got to DISH one day past their 30 day policy. They then deducted a ridiculous charge that I was never informed of right out of my checking account.

I called Dish again and was told that it was my fault for not getting the equipment to them on time. I explained that the box was not delivered to me in a timely fashion and if they go to UPS.com and look up the box they will see that. I was told by the representative, "That isn't my job ma'am." (I am a sir, and I had to correct her 5 times and she still called me ma'am.)

I told her that they overdrew my account and I needed to have a refund issued ASAP. I was told that a refund would take up to a month but if I held they would transfer me to a resolution team. Instead, I was hung up on. Called again and explained to a different representative, I was hung up on again. Called yet again and finally go through to a supervisor who told me that I was entitled to refund but they cannot do a refund instantly that it does take up to a month.

I disputed and informed them that they have no issue taking money out, why does it need to take so long to return? She said that she didn't know. After being on the phone with Dish for 5 hours, I finally got a refund that was guaranteed to be returned in 2 business days....

I waited 2 business days, still no refund to my account. I called yet again and was told that they did issue the refund but it was my bank that hadn't accepted it. Called my bank, there was no record of a refund. Called Dish who then stated that there was no refund coming as there was no information on my account. WHAT?!

After going through the process yet again and waiting 3 business days (while racking up overdraft charges at my bank for almost a week) I got my refund. Dish did not offer to cover my overdraft fees but they did tell me that I am responsible for shipping charges from their prepaid UPS label that can be anywhere from 16-40 dollars depending "on the day" as it changes daily. UGH! I asked about the actual dish and tripod that is still on my property. I was told to keep it and take it to The Dump. I asked them to pick it up, they informed me that it would be a $50 charge for one of their technicians to pick up anything. WHATEVER!

Do NOT ever deal with Dish. They entice you with great offers but then once you have a contract they lie, cheat, and steal until they can no longer get anymore out of you. Never once did I get an apology, a kind word, or compensation for any of my negative experiences. Keep in mind, this is a condensed review based on months of negative issues with Dish.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Coax Cable Fire

By Cindy - 06/05/2014

Rating: 1/51

LITTLETON, FLORIDA -- On April 7, 2014 my son went by my home only to discover that the back side of my house was on FIRE... He quickly started ripping off siding and put the fire out with a water hose, now here is the bad part, usually he DOES NOT come by early, and my BLIND mother-in-law is home alone. Thank God he came by early or it could have been a terrible situation.

I called Dish @ 5:55 pm after approximately 89 minutes, in 5 calls to "customer service" to get someone out to the house to check the wiring, the best they could do was have someone out the next afternoon. I was not happy with this, was scared my house might burn down. The next day 4/8 I contacted another Dish contractor and they had a tech come out and inspect, he stated in his written report "cable shorted out causing the siding/mulch to catch fire". He did make sure the cable/receiver was disconnected. Charged $75.00 for house call. Later that afternoon a Area Business Manager came out, took pictures, spoke with my husband, never heard from him again.

On 4/10 the company that installed the system several years ago came by, same thing, took pictures. Received a letter from them on 4/18 stating that "an assessment has been completed, however, we were not able to determine that the issue was related to installation. Based on this, please be advised we have denied the claim." I called the company a total of 3 times to request a copy of their assessment, still have not received.

Got a letter from Dish dated May 23, stating "Our engineering dept has performed a through investigation of this allegation and determined that the damage was not a result of any malfunction of your receiver or other Dish Network equipment. As a result, no reimbursement or payment will be made to you."

I spoke with the Corporate Field Resolutions Dept, and told them that the receiver was NOT was caught on fire, but to no avail. He stated that once the equipment was installed it became mine and my responsibility. I can claim with my homeowners insurance and if they feel they can pursue Dish. First of all I did not want to claim with my insurance, it was DISH FAULT.

They also stated that the damage was probably caused by "animal activity", so I responded with why aren't the coax placed in a protective (PVC) pipe? Again not their responsibility. As you can see from the pictures the damage was not extensive, but, still there was damage that needs to be repaired. So I will contact my insurance company and see.

Again Dish Network has the WORST customer service I have ever encountered. If you have Dish PLEASE check your coax lines, if you live in the country (like I do), you might want to "critter proof" your lines because Dish will NOT HELP YOU IN ANY WAY....

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Installer Put Holes in My Roof Causing a Leak

By Larry1728 - 07/28/2014

Rating: 1/51

I am originally from Ohio and moved to the deep south (SEC country) 24 years ago. When the BTN (Big Ten Network) took over a lot of the football games, I was unable to see them and decided to get Dish since they advertised carrying it. When I called I had asked about BTN and several times made comment that BTN was the only reason I was ordering Dish.

After I signed up for a 2 year contract and it was installed, I was unable to find BTN. I called them and asked and they said that if I wanted to receive it, I would have to upgrade to a higher package and then buy a special sports package. So, I went from $49.99 per month to $89.99 per month just to get the one channel I wanted to start with. (Bait and Switch). I told them to come get it, that I don't want it. They told me I would owe them some ungodly number like $485.00 if I break the contract.

Once I started getting the bills I noticed an extra $14.00 per month on the bill. They said that was for service contract in case THEIR equipment goes bad, I will not have to pay full price for them to come and fix THEIR equipment. Again they hung that contract over my head threatening me with $485.00 if I cancelled.

So... Several years of this went by and I started having issues where it would come up "Complete Signal Loss" all the time even without a cloud in the sky. They sent out a guy to fix it and he ended up having to replace the cable from the Dish on the roof to where it connects in. He said the cable rubbed a hole in it causing the issue. After he left, the connection was working again, but I noticed that he screwed down the cable to my roof... Through the shingles into my roof all the way down. I am still trying to get them to fix the leaking roof after that issue.

Six months went by and it started having the same issue. They sent out a guy, he looked at it from the ground and said "sorry we don't repair anything on roofs anymore." I said "but you guys installed it there, I didn't". He said that he would have to leave that one up there and install a new one on the side of my house mounted to the new vinyl siding. Well, that's not going to happen so I cancelled my Dish network and had Mediacom install cable. Now I am saving a ton of money, it doesn't stop working when it rains and they even took down the old dish for me and trashed it. I will NEVER get Dish again!

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Problems From Day One And Still 2 Years After Cancelling - Scam Artists!!!

By Krystal - 02/24/2014

Rating: 1/51

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS -- DO NOT SIGN UP WITH DISH AND DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY OF YOUR INFORMATION!! If there was an option to give 0 stars I would have, but unfortunately 1 was the lowest rating possible... Please at least read about my experience with them before you decide to call them.

I signed a contract with Dish Network in early 2010. I called and asked for an HD/DVR box and picked the package I wanted that had all my channels of interest. They also told me that if I ever moved, they would move me anywhere for free. This was important because I knew I would be moving within the next year.

The installation tech came out and set everything up for me. When he finished, I asked him to show me how to work it and realized they had given me the wrong box... It was HD but didn't have the DVR which was the more important of the two to me. He told me to just call them and they would send someone to switch out the equipment and it wouldn't be a big deal. WRONG! I immediately called and turns out that whoever set up my account set it up wrong in their system but told me that I was getting was I had asked for.

They wouldn't fix this problem and told me that since it was already set up they couldn't just switch it out because when you sign up with them you are purchasing the box, not leasing it, and they do not reclaim the boxes they only reclaim the satellite.... Once it's set up and the tech leaves, it's yours and they cannot change it.

Because of this, if I wanted a different box I would have to pay full price to purchase the correct box (that I initially asked for and was told I was getting) which would run me about $500. They also gave me the option to find a store that purchased and resold used boxes and said I could probably switch mine out at one of these locations for a decent price. The nearest one I found was over 50 miles away... No thanks.

I argued with them about this over the next week and they wouldn't let me cancel or switch my equipment even though THEY had screwed up and just kept telling me I would have to either pay the full price for the box, or buy out of my contract (basically pay for two years of service). I finally gave up, bought a Tivo, and just decided to ride it out until my contract was up and then I would just cancel and go somewhere else.

During this two year contract with them, I continuously ran into more issues with them. One month, my bill randomly increased. When I asked them about this, they said my plan had been upgraded. I didn't ask for that, so how could they just change my plan and charge me more??

It took a lot of arguing with them to get them to fix the problem and I could tell that they really didn't want to. This happened more than one time during my contract with them and they were very reluctant to fix the problem each time and always tried to convince me that I was wrong... As if I wasn't already frustrated enough with them, this just made me feel like they were just trying to find ways to scam me out of money hoping that I wouldn't notice, or hoping that I wouldn't want to deal with it and would just give in to their BS.

Later, as I stated earlier, I ended up moving and called to have my service address and equipment moved... Supposed to be free right? Nope, they told me it would be something like $300 for a moving fee and I was only moving 1 hr away!!! Are you kidding me?! They wouldn't budge on this one... So at this point I was just ready to be done with them.

Finally,my contract ended (sometime in early 2012) and as soon as it did I called to cancel my service with them so I could go somewhere else. Happiest day of my life to finally get away from them and be done with them... Or so I thought.

I canceled with them, threw out my box (since they told me I owned it), and signed up with another provider which has been MUCH better. About a week later, I got an empty box in the mail from Dish saying I need to return my equipment. What? So I called and asked about it and they told me a different story.... All equipment, including the boxes, are leased and they do reuse them and it all has to be returned when service is discontinued. I told them what I had been told during my initial issue with them and all they told me was "Sorry, you were told wrong. If you don't have it, you'll have to pay for it."

At this point I was tired and mad and just wanted to be completely done with these people so I just paid for the unreturned equipment and was told that this took care of everything and I had no remaining balances on my account and my service had been canceled. Finally... Some relief... Right? Nope!

In November or December 2013, I received a voicemail from Dish saying that my service would be disrupted and I would be charged a late fee if I did not pay on my account by a certain date. I called back and apparently my account had been reactivated WITHOUT my consent!!!! They did not want to fix the problem and I probably spent about an hour on the phone with them talking with person after person and arguing with them over whether or not I had reactivated my account!!!! They didn't even have the correct address for where the service was active (it was my old address where the account had initially been set up).

Finally, they decided there had to have been some sort of fraud and they told me they would cancel everything and drop all fees and fix the issue... THEN as soon as that was done, they tried to tell me that I needed to return my equipment from a year ago that I had already paid for!!!! It took more arguing with more people and departments to finally get that settled and for them to find in their system that it HAD been taken care of and paid for.

They told me again that they would remove all of this from my account, take care of everything, and that I did not owe anything. They also said they would put a block on my account so that it could not be reactivated again and I would not be contacted anymore.

Here we are two or three months later (February 2014) and I just got another voicemail from them asking me to return my equipment. Again, I called (with very little patience at this point) and asked why I was receiving these calls when this had already been taken care of...TWICE! Again, they were VERY reluctant to fix the problem and just kept trying to convince me to return the equipment even though I told them several times that I did not have the equipment and had already paid for it years ago.

Once they finally got the message that I did not have the equipment, they argued with me about paying for it... And I had to explain to them over and over that I already had paid for it TWO YEARS AGO!! I got put on hold over and over and then they tried to tell me they would send a request to their "investigation department" and this department would contact me within 24 hours. I told them I wasn't getting off the phone until it was fixed because I didn't trust them and was tired of dealing with the same issue over and over...

Finally another hour long phone call later they told me they would put me on a "do not call" list, but didn't say anything about the account being all settled. I asked if they removed the charges from my account so that this wouldn't be an issue again. They just said "Uh... yeah..." I don't believe them.

I'm sure I'll get another call or notification from them about some other BS charge in the future. I'm trying to figure out how to get completely removed from their system. I'm so tired of dealing with them and this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever encountered with any type of service provider! Whatever is going on over there cannot be legal and after my experience with them I'm convinced they are scam artists who will try to manipulate you into giving them money for things that you either already have, or things you never agreed to or consented to in the first place.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Return Equipment Scam

By Robert - 08/24/2013

Rating: 1/51

I too have been a victim of Dish Network Equipment Return Baloney. I canceled my service in March of 2013 and the first fellow I spoke with was pretty pleasant. I was told that since I had been a loyal customer in good standing for so long that he would wave the $17 shipping fee to return "their" equipment. He also stated that I was due a refund and that would be processed when they had "their" equipment back.

I asked which receivers they wanted and he gave me the number of one, I asked about the other 3 boxes and was told that I had been with the company long enough that the receivers were under the program that after two years, you owned them. I didn't think that was the case for the DVR receiver so I stored them in my basement. In about 5 days I got a box dropped on my front porch, inside was a list of the receiver to be returned, I packed it and dropped the package at a UPS store. In about a month, to my surprise, I received a bill for Dish Network Service.

I made a phone call to customer service, the guy on the other end said that it was a mistake and that he would correct the problem. I also informed him that I had received notice that they had received their equipment and I wanted to know where my return was. The fellow told me that returns were not automatically issued but he would put in a request for me and I should receive it in short order.

Fast forward about 3 weeks and in sight of about 4 days I received a refund check and another bill for service. About this time I'm thinking that something is pretty fishy, I log into our account and find it still shows a balance and they still have my credit card number and my bank account number, where we paid our bill.

I call customer service to find out why my bank account number and credit card number is still in their system, and vehemently tell them they are no longer authorized to have access to my bank account or credit card and I want them removed from their system. I am shocked when the lady tells me it will take 10 days to make that happen, as it only took about 2 seconds for them to have access in the first place. I got off the phone with her, called my bank froze them out of my account and changed the number on my credit card account.

Now that I'm protected financially, I call back about the false charges. I finally get to a supervisor and after she researches my account she says I have not returned their equipment and that's why I'm getting billed, I tell her that I have not had Dish service since March. I have a notice where I have returned the equipment that they requested and they have sent me a refund check for service. This doesn't seem to faze the lady.

In a few seconds she tells me that I still have a DVR receiver that is theirs, I tell her that if they would have asked for it the last time they sent me a box they would already have it. The lady says she will send me a box to return it but I will be charged $17 dollars to return it. I inform her that I will be glad to drop her equipment at the nearest Dish facility, but as far as me paying to return "their" equipment, that is not going to happen, click. In about 5 days I find two boxes on my porch to ship one DVR receiver back, I pack the receiver in one box, and in a effort not to confuse them by not returning two boxes I put a note in the other and ship them both.

Fast forward. Till today I'm still getting bills saying they won't restore my service until I pay the $18.42 to ship "their" equipment back. I am starting to get phone calls from someone I can't hardly understand about my delinquent account, to which I reply I am not paying it. I guess I will put a note in my credit history at the three reporting agencies, and spend my spare time telling everyone that will listen what kind of company Dish Network turned out to be in my case.

I'm not angry with the people at customer service. They are just doing what they are paid to do. But somewhere up the corporate ladder there is someone that put the policy of making you miserable If you chose to drop their service. A word to the wise, be sure before you sign up for any service with leased equipment that you know what their policy is on returning their stuff.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Top Ten List: Why Dish Network SUCKS

By dashh - 01/28/2008

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Dish Network (abbreviated DN from now on) does NOT give a damn about pleasing their customers. And why should they, their product is garbage too. Like Letterman's Top Ten List, here is my Top Ten List of why I think DN SUCKS.

10) EVERY TIME it storms, service goes out. Does DN care? No. 9) When we upgraded to HD, they left the old receiver at our house so they could keep charging us a "Leased Receiver Fee" ($5.00) 8) No local channels in HD (as stated in other reviews) and not that many other channels in HD either. Also, HD honestly doesn't look as good as other services I've seen. And yes, we're using an HDMI cable. 7) One of our "new" receivers was broken and DN wanted to charge us $15 dollars in shipping fees to send it back. It took some serious yelling to get them to pay for it.

6) When we initially upgraded to HD "for free" they threw in a $50 receiver installation fee "by accident". It took 2 phone calls (lasting about 1.5 hours), 4 different associates (including one manager) to get them to take it off. 5) When I asked the manager why the previous associate didn't see another associate's notes in our account, the manager said "Oh, sometimes managers can see notes that no one else can see." WHAT'S THE POINT OF THE FREAKING NOTES THEN?

4) When we upgraded to HD, I had to call them to activate the HD channels. The guy who installed it didn't even bother to check if it worked. Oh and he used composite cables on our HDTV despite the HDMI cable we laid out in front of his face. 3) Been a customer more than 4 years now, and we had to start a contract when we upgraded to HD. Now if we cancel, we'll have to pay a $240 cancellation fee.

2) Shameless DN ads constantly playing on every single channel. And, drum roll please.... The number 1 reason why DN SUCKS: When I expressed my intent to cancel their service immediately, they didn't object at all. It was the only time in the conversation they confidently knew how to proceed.

We only subscribe to DN because my parents only watch one international channel they offer. If you are looking for a customer-friendly, reliable, high-quality cable TV service, just look at the majority of reviews on this site and DO NOT GET DISH NETWORK. I repeat and implore everyone reading this, DO NOT GET DISH NETWORK.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

They Lie to Get a Sale

By Allan - 06/15/2012

Rating: 1/51

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA -- Beware of the Dish Network people, they lie to get a sale, we fell for it ourselves and regret it now. They swore we would not lose signal even in a storm. Well we have had it for 4 months and about a total of a week off and on whenever it rains or gets cloudy we have been without TV, and on their commercials on TV they say how they are customer friendly and care about us so much, then why do they want to charge 350.00 to stop service?

If they cared that much they would be happy to stop it if a customer wasn't happy, but I guess they must know that a lot of people are going to stop service or they would not charge so seeing as how they already know how much it will cost just goes to show they already know people are going to be unhappy. So much for customer service. If you enjoy watching TV I would advise strongly not falling for Dish Network like we did. It will cost you dearly in the end and I mean IN THE END!!!!!!!!

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Dish Network Racketeering Scam

By Parag - 05/27/2011

9601 SOUTH MERIDIAN BLVD -- Dish Network Corporation defrauded my senior citizen father, in an organized scam using deceptive trade practices. I'm trying my best as a son to protect my father from the Dish Network Scam by helping him in complaints and dealings from him being a further victim of Dish Network Scam and related issues.

In July, August of 2010 through misleading marketing ads and deception, Dish Network and authorized dealers targeted my retired senior citizen father, in good standing within our community and a longtime Time Warner cable customer for their promotion of $24.99/month for America's top 120 channels (for 12 months) and the remaining 12 months the price being locked in at $39.99, (copy of ad available) in joining them by signing under undue influence a contract AFTER the Dish system WAS INSTALLED and pressure inserted towards my father in signing. Complaint was made on that day to the authorized dealer retailer of Dish Network and Dish Network.

The original verbal agreement was done on August 19th 2010 the day before with the for the promotion with payment made. The contract was backdated by pressure from the Dish authorized installer since my senior citizen father was misled in signing the local authorized Dish retailer's work order copy also which signed under undue influence which pressured him in signing the other copy.

No signed copy was also given on the day and received from Dish later in the mail after complaint. (transcripts /documentation/other evidence available only for criminal proceedings and court order) Dish Network Corporation was fully aware of this act which was the backbone to their future criminal activity against my father.

On January 5th, 2011 as a new customer, under this promotion, contacted Dish Network for advice as their client and new customer if there was any option that he could freeze account by holding it while we were on vacation (a Hindu pilgrimage in India), and resuming it when we got back.

Dish Network advised on Dish Pause as the best option, stating that it would only cost us $5.00 monthly charge for Dish Pause duration. The account would remain active and resume back when we returned. (Transcripts available. NOTE: Dish Network did not advise, that it would forfeit our $24.99 rate and our lock in rate for the remaining 24 months of resumed service). They knowingly omitted this key piece of information.

On March 11th, 2011 contacted Dish Network for resuming services and shockingly find out that previous promotion was forfeited due to Disk Pause and the terms of the promotion had been changed. His monthly bill now was almost doubled from 24.99 now to 44.99 for America's top 120 package. We protested to Dish Network why they did not disclosed to us on January 5th. They were apologetic but the situation was not resolved. They did not resume my original service due to the situation not being resolved. (Transcripts available)

On March 12th, 2011 again contacted Dish Network in verifying and stating his original pricing before service is resumed, the issue was resolved and his original service was resumed at that original promotional pricing of America top 120 package that he had before. (Transcript available)

On April 6th, 2011 after checking the bill and noticing that prices were doubled and overcharged. They have removed 24.99 monthly price ($15.00 remaining monthly credits from the $39.99 per month) and started charging $44.99 per monthly charge, plus advanced monthly charge for the same amount which is locked in for the remaining term of the 24 months of the promotional months without the promotional pricing that he had signed up for.

He contacted Dish Network. They stated that his original agreed upon promotional price was forfeited. Again complained and protested. (Transcripts available) Related to the current dispute of overcharged billing and what the current bill should be. Also advised them that the future automatic withdrawals if not corrected with the promotional pricing that was agreed upon will also be overcharged and be in dispute every month.

On April 9th, 2011 sent a letter of complaint to Dish Network, and their corporate officers via email system (email transcript available). On April 9th 2011 received short email back from Dish Network stating that the complaint has been addressed however Dish did not give any proper explanation in their deceptive trade practices against senior citizen consumer in wrongfully charging. (Email transcripts available)

Since then till now, Dish Network is continuing to violate my senior citizen father and enslave him with a bogus contract of August 20th with their wrongful practices while stealing from his account. Complaints were made to the FTC, BBB, and attorney generals as well as the credit card company. Dish Network, corporate policymakers/ employees seem to operate with immunity from any serious federal/state criminal prosecution.

My senior citizen father's rights were violated; he is a victim and is continuing to suffer in health and welfare due to Dish Network's Scam. He is a responsible consumer we have done everything reasonable to resolve the dispute. The corporation has received only "slap" on the wrist from previous federal and state litigation and settlement. I pray for sincere stronger punitive action that results in criminal conviction for the policymakers at the highest corporate level in the Dish Network organization in this fraudulent racket. Also since this is a public corporation, and behalf of Investors and the public I hope the SEC also takes action for them violating their public status.

I hope also the Department of Justice Civil Rights unit takes action to investigate my father's civil rights being violated. I also hope the FCC takes action for the Dish Networks proxy internet sites use deception against consumers including complaints. I expect the government using all tools necessary including the Rico Act under organized crime to prosecute the corporate executive officers/employees in criminal prosecution.

I hope also Consumer/Government Advocacy Organizations/Pro-Bono Legal Councilors to defend and protect senior citizen/minority consumers from predator corporations such as Dish Network from any fraudulent and deceptive trade practices from their current, past and future actions. This is organized crime perpetrated by Dish Network Corporation/their associates and their policy directed by their corporate officers. The company is getting away with wrongdoings against my father and many other consumers.

BTW: DISH NETWORK EMPLOYEES: I wish for more Dish employee whistleblowers to become STATE AND FEDERAL WITNESSES in Criminal Prosecution cases against the Dish Network and corporate policymakers who commit fraud against the American public.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

Poor Dish Service

- 09/26/2014

Rating: 1/51

WEBBERS FALLS, OKLAHOMA -- I had been with Dish in Grayslake in Illinois for over 17 years when I moved to Oklahoma. I called Dish and took a leave of absence from their service till I could buy a house here. Once I found a house I called Dish for new service. They first sent out a female contractor who set the dish on the eve of the home and found she could not get a signal. She had trees in the way. She told me and that four trees needed to be removed. I called a handyman and he came over and cut the trees but still no signal. After almost 12 hours she gave up and said she would have someone come back the following week.

The office then sent out a tech who got out of the truck and said there were too many trees, I would never have tried to hook up service for you. Let me walk around with my scanner and see if you have a better spot. He then told me he could get me a signal if I would allow a couple of post to be placed in my front yard. After I agreed he said "I will call Okie dig and get them out early next week to look at the yard before we can dig." I understood and agreed to wait. The next week I had a third tech come out who said that Okie dig had never been called but he had notified them and they would be next week and the office would have to send out someone again.

The next week **, a tech came and complained he was only given 15 minutes to do the job, and that the contractor had used the wrong line to install and it all needed to be replaced. He then called his office and started to work. After about two hours he came outside and said "Well bad news". I asked him what was wrong and he showed me in his haste he had pulled my TV off the TV stand and it had broken plus it put a hole in my wall. He was real upset and kept saying he hoped he would not get fired over it or at least written up.

I called his boss the next day and was assured they would pay for the set. After 7 months I did get a check for about half of it's cost. If I had to charge them for my phone time it would have been six times that much. All the time I had been waiting to be paid. I complained the Internet was slow and horrible. Dish finally sent out a tech, ** again. He told me he had been written up but he guess he deserved it. He then went outside to look at the system. After five minutes he came back inside and told me he had repaired the slow Internet. He said he had to cut a ground for the phone which was not used anyway but was too close to the Dish install.

A few months later their was a lightning storm a few miles away. I went to bed because my signal was gone. When I woke up the next morning all three TV's were dead. I called Dish and they said for $10 they would send out another tech. I asked them to send someone other than **. I wanted another set of eyes on this problem.

** came out that Saturday and after about two minutes found that ** had cut the wrong ground. He had cut the one for the Dish system. He told me he had it in his report and that Dish would have to replace the TV's. He took photos and checked everything including the TV's. He also installed new Hopper as well as the Joy boxes. I boxed up the old units when he was here and called Dish to request the labels to send back the old equipment. I was told to write Attention ** on the boxes.

The following week ** the lead technician came over to look at the boxes and look at the system. I told him that ** from Colorado Corporate was assigned to me as a claims adjuster. After a half hour or so ** said he had moved the direction of my Internet dish because it was pointed in the wrong direction. And that sometimes even if the Hopper systems are UL listed they give you problems and can not be grounded. He also told me that I had a reversed wire in the master bedroom which could account for the one TV blowing out.

After he left I called my electrician ** who has been licensed for over 40 years. He came over and checked the line. He told me he could not find a problem. I told him ** had showed me his tester and it said it was bad. He pulled out the tester he carried and it showed good. He then took the outlet out and examined it and put it back. Shook his hand and said they are trying to pull a flimflam on me. He did not charge me because he had checked the electric out for me before and installed a new 200 amp breaker box a few weeks earlier.

I made several calls over the next weeks to ** and to the local office. Just before the two month date of losing my TV's the manager, ** told me that he could offer me $450 for the sets. This is again close to half of the price I paid for the three new TV's all purchased in the last year. I told him you do know these were all three TV/DVD combo units. He said I know but you do not have to agree. Finally I told him "Fine send me my money and we are done". I am tired of fighting for this money which is due me. If it were reversed and I owed Dish you would have been paid the full amount quickly.

He then sent me a form to fill out that reads: "By your signature, you agree that you are completely satisfied with the resolution of this damage claim. You understand that Dish Network Services and affiliate consider this claim to be closed and will not accept further liabilities regarding this claim. You agree that the existence of this claim and it's terms and conditions are to be kept strictly confidential by all parties involved."

I refuse to sign this agreement because it is a hush order and there are several litigations that could happen if it were signed. He agreed to call corporate legal and ask to have the document changed to read from this day forward. Today 9/26/2014 we talked and he told me that the legal team refused to change the form at all. And that the ball was in my court. If I want paid I will have to sign it.

Well the form as I told him says signed on this date so in a couple of days I will sign it but not till I have let the world know what a horrible service I have received and the way they treat customers. I could not even get a call back from ** so I am writing this for all to see before I sign.

Was this review helpful?YesNo

Replies

Review Link:

The Worst, Most Disorganized Corporate Entity I've Ever Dealt With

By Brian - 07/16/2014

Rating: 1/51

NEW YORK -- I had left Time Warner after 5 years of their service because prices just kept increasing. Meanwhile, Dish Network was offering satellite packages with tons of channels, high speed internet, and home phone for literally 60% off the Time Warner price. "How could I go wrong?" I thought. I wish I had never gone further than the thought.

When I signed up, I was told "Your first month will be free. You'll pay nothing for 60 days (except the signup fee which was relatively cheap). And when your first bill comes in, it should be approximately $60 since you've signed up as a part of this promo. All subsequent bills will be $60 as well. It's that simple!" Apparently it wasn't that simple. First bill arrived within 14 days to the tune of $280. Needless to say, I called to inquire and lodge a complaint if need be. This is where Dish Network TRIES to excel.

You don't get pushed around from faceless representative to faceless representative with each call. Instead, the person you speak to gives you his/her name, their direct phone number, they act like your buddy, and tell you "If you ever have ANY problems, you call me directly. I'm your guy/girl! I'll be here to help you." That, to me, sounded great. Personalized service. And should anything go wrong (again), I have a name and a direct line of a person to either fix it OR hold accountable.

Well, ** was the first name. She signed me up. I suppose it should have struck me a bit odd that the person who signed me up was also volunteering to be my customer service/tech support person but it didn't. I called ** when I got my bill, one month early and $220 higher than I was told it would be. ** never answered. She never returned calls either. This went on for a week or two before finally, after pressing a number of different menu options, I got someone on the phone. ** apologized profusely but told me the problem was, ** incorrectly coded everything on my account. Thus, the overcharge. "I see" I said. "Can you just go ahead and fix that for me?"

"I can't" said **. "Once it's in the system, there's no way to change it. But what I can do is throw a number of credits and promo codes on there to get us down to around $60." This is just downright laughable. A major cable/ISP company is running off computer systems that don't allow for changes to customer accounts?! Whatever. As long as my bill goes back to where it should be. The "credit / coding" issue is theirs to deal with. Not mine.

Now mind you, I'm still on the phone with ** every week because the wireless they promise is not only slower than advertised, it drops virtually once every hour. In the first 6 months, I went through at least 4 modems and routers. Had visits from 2 or 3 techs to examine the wiring into the wall. Nothing seemed to work. The wireless was just terrible. And ** told me that it was likely going to remain that way because I was on the very edge of their service area. And since it's DSL nothing they could really do.

"Well, why wasn't I told about this when I signed up **?" He apologized. Gave me more credits and got my bill down to $0 for the next 2-3 months. Which was great except I still couldn't use the wireless and, if there was even a slight breeze, the satellite signal was disrupted.

Two months later... Bill arrives for $190. I call **. I call ** again because he doesn't answer. ** never answers and never returns calls anymore. At this point, I'm not only livid from billing issues. I'm also pissed because my wireless is half the speed promised AND drops constantly. Also, my satellite picture not only goes out in the rain, it gets disrupted with even the slightest breeze. I walked outside and saw the dish actually shaking with each tiny gust. So they sent a tech.

The tech discovered it was put too close to the edge of the roof and thus, half of the mount was fastened to nothing but shingles. As dumb as that is, his solution was just as dumb. He added a brace to the base essentially bracing it to OTHER loose shingles too close to the edge of the roof. NO ONE could figure out the wireless problem. AT ALL.

After never hearing from ** again, I got ** (what was with this company and hiring people who's names only start with 'C'?). ** sent a new tech out to the house to fix the dish. And this guy was smarter. He removed the dish and remounted it to actual roof. Not just shingles. But the wireless was beyond him. Couldn't figure that one out at all. So now I had halfway decent TV (it still sucked in the rain but at least on a sunny day I was able to watch), the wireless still sucked, but at least, thanks to ** I was paying nothing. For about 2-3 months.

Then I got another bill. Another ridiculous amount. At the same time, I have someone from Dish in my house trying to figure out what the issue is with the wireless (which, at this point) is useless. Finally, I called Dish, told them I was breaking the contract early and frankly, I didn't care how much they had wanted to charge me for it. They'd never see the money from me anyway. I had endured 11 months of terrible customer service and horrific wireless service. I was done and moving on. Didn't matter the cost and nothing they could say would keep me behind.

Finally, they agreed to let me go at no cost. The upside was... for the 11 months I was a customer, I paid next to nothing. The downside was... I paid next to nothing because I actually got nothing but headaches and occasional TV. Oh, and the landline that I never used. I went back to Time Warner and, within 10 minutes of the setup with Time Warner, the tech they had sent to install everything found the wiring problem that created the crap internet. I've been good at Time Warner ever since.